A partial solar eclipse occurs when the Sun and the Moon are not quite lined up. In this case, the Moon covers only a section of the Sun. This kind of eclipse usually goes unnoticed by most people on Earth because the sunlight is scarcely dimmed.
A total solar eclipse, however, is much more spectacular. At totality, the disk of the Sun is completely obscured by the new Moon, and only the ghostly solar corona and perhaps gigantic solar flares are visible around the edges of the Moon. Those parts of the Earth experiencing totality become very dark and it is possible to see stars in the sky.
An annular solar eclipse is similar to a total eclipse except that the new Moon is near apogee and its disk appears slightly smaller than that of the Sun. Thus, a bright ring or annulus of the solar disk remains at maximum eclipse, and the sky does not become dark.
There are at least two and sometimes as many as five solar eclipses every year. Why don't we have a solar eclipse during every new Moon? This is because the Moon's orbit around the Earth is at an angle to the ecliptic. The new Moon usually passes above or below the Sun as seen from the Earth and thus there is no eclipse. The proper alignment for a solar eclipse occurs only a few times a year.
Another kind of eclipse is a lunar eclipse which occurs when the Moon passes through the shadow cast by the Earth. A lunar eclipse only occurs when the Moon is full and for the same reasons given above, happens only two or three times a year.
A lunar eclipse may be total, partial or penumbral. A total lunar eclipse causes the full Moon to slowly darken as it enters the umbra of the Earth and at totality, the Moon may take on a dark coppery colour. During a partial lunar eclipse, the Moon does not fully enter the umbra of the Earth. A penumbral lunar eclipse is likely to go unnoticed as the Moon passes through the Earth's penumbra and does not dim a great deal.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 10:56 UT | The partial eclipse begins when the Earth enters the penumbra of the Moon. |
| 12:49 UT | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 0.58. |
| 13:03 UT | The Moon reaches new phase. |
| 14:43 UT | The partial eclipse ends when the Earth leaves the penumbra of the Moon. |
The eclipse is visible from the Antarctic.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 18:07 UT | The partial eclipse begins when the Earth enters the penumbra of the Moon. |
| 19:20 UT | The Moon reaches new phase. |
| 19:32 UT | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 0.48. |
| 20:58 UT | The partial eclipse ends when the Earth leaves the penumbra of the Moon. |
The eclipse is visible from the southernmost parts of the Pacific Ocean and South America.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 00:37 UT | The partial eclipse begins when the Earth enters the penumbra of the Moon. |
| 02:13 UT | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 0.60. |
| 02:25 UT | The Moon reaches new phase. |
| 03:49 UT | The partial eclipse ends when the Earth leaves the penumbra of the Moon. |
The eclipse is visible from the Arctic, western parts of the United States, western and central parts of Canada, Alaska, and the northern parts of Greenland, Scandinavia, and Russia.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 15:27 UT | The partial eclipse begins when the Earth enters the penumbra of the Moon. |
| 17:22 UT | The Moon reaches new phase. |
| 17:35 UT | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 0.73. |
| 19:43 UT | The partial eclipse ends when the Earth leaves the penumbra of the Moon. |
The eclipse is visible from the United States (not Alaska or Hawaii), Mexico, most of Canada, and northern parts of Central America.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 02:03 UT | The Moon enters the penumbra of the Earth. |
| 03:01 UT | The Moon enters the umbra of the Earth. |
| 04:05 UT | Totality begins. |
| 04:40 UT | The Moon reaches full phase. |
| 04:44 UT | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 1.32. |
| 05:22 UT | Totality ends. |
| 06:25 UT | The Moon leaves the umbra of the Earth. |
| 07:24 UT | The Moon leaves the penumbra of the Earth. |
The beginning of the eclipse is visible from North, South, and Central America, the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, most of Africa, and western parts of Asia. The end of the eclipse is visible from the western hemisphere.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 10:47 UT | The Moon enters the penumbra of the Earth. |
| 11:57 UT | The Moon enters the umbra of the Earth. |
| 13:02 UT | Totality begins. |
| 13:55 UT | The Moon reaches full phase. |
| 13:56 UT | This is the time of greatest eclipse: magnitude = 1.77. |
| 14:49 UT | Totality ends. |
| 15:54 UT | The Moon leaves the umbra of the Earth. |
| 17:05 UT | The Moon leaves the penumbra of the Earth. |
The beginning of the eclipse is visible from western parts of the United States and Canada, including Alaska, most of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, east coast of Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and Antarctica. The end of the eclipse is visible from western parts of the Pacific Ocean, most of Asia, east coast of Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and Antarctica.
Copyright © 1995-2000 by David Harper and L.M. Stockman